wiper fluid frozen?

[Foobar]

Originally Posted by FR-S Matt

lol, yeah, I don't know what its like. I was curious though. That makes sense. We'd be lucky to have roads ice over. That's about it. Even then, everything gets shut down at that point because people can't already drive here when it rains.

I actually use more wiper fluid in winter than in spring/summer/fall. The crap that gets kicked up on our windshields in cold weather states during the winter is hell and we have to constantly clear them. As soon as you run out of fluid, the gunk just smears across the windshield rendering them useless. That's when you refill immediately, but in the meantime you tailgate the guy in front of you hoping that his tires kick up enough liquid from the road that you can use to clear your windshield!

[n2oinferno]

Originally Posted by FR-S Matt

lol, yeah, I don't know what its like. I was curious though. That makes sense. We'd be lucky to have roads ice over. That's about it. Even then, everything gets shut down at that point because people can't already drive here when it rains.

It's because inevitably in the winter, in a place that salts heavily, your car eventually looks like this:


I used to wash my cars weekly. They still looked like that at times, during the winter.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by jarviz

Interesting point... but any reason the same fluid works in my 2003 corolla?

Every car is a bit different.

On my SAAB for example the windshield jets never freeze. The hatch jet routinely freezes. Same fluid in the same reservoir and in the same car.

My Audi never froze because the jets were heated together with the side mirrors and rear defroster.

[Tgionet]

Originally Posted by n2oinferno

It's because inevitably in the winter, in a place that salts heavily, your car eventually looks like this:

I used to wash my cars weekly. They still looked like that at times, during the winter.

By eventually he actually means as soon as you drive it.

[n2oinferno]

Originally Posted by Tgionet

By eventually he actually means as soon as you drive it.

Before you even get into the road. It looks that way the second you leave the garage.

[jarviz]

Originally Posted by Foobar

I actually use more wiper fluid in winter than in spring/summer/fall. The crap that gets kicked up on our windshields in cold weather states during the winter is hell and we have to constantly clear them. As soon as you run out of fluid, the gunk just smears across the windshield rendering them useless. That's when you refill immediately, but in the meantime you tailgate the guy in front of you hoping that his tires kick up enough liquid from the road that you can use to clear your windshield!

hahhaha i know that feeling, but too bad the liquid he kicks up usually comes with rocks and salt as well.

[ScionFR-S]

Originally Posted by jarviz

Hit about -10 to 10 degrees the last couple of days in NYC. I tried turning on my wiper fluids to clean the windshield but nothing came out. The wipers still wiped. I thought maybe I used some generic brand that didn't have anti-freeze.

I go home and the bucket I left outside still has fluid in it... not frozen. This wiper fluid pump worked perfectly fine a couple of days prior to it going below freezing.

Has anybody else has this issue?

I live in NYC also and this happened to me a couple weeks ago.... Literally drain out your washer fluid by just holding the sticks nod letting it hit the window until it's all gone... Get some wiper fluid from the gas station that stays good past -25 or whatever they claim. You will be golden. The way to get it to come out is to just drive so the engine bay will heat up and then it will warm the fluid making it able to be dispersed on the window. Hope this helps
- mike

[Bad Habits]

Originally Posted by jarviz

when there's salt residue and white streaks all over your windshield, impairing visibility especially at night when there's oncoming traffic with their headlights hitting you.... yes washing the windows would be nice.

just noticed your from TX... never mind my whole argument haha

I totally get what youre saying, I used to live in Massachusetts. That's why I said throw a little vodka in there. Our neighbors growing up were transplants from Maine. He saw me messing with my jeep one day, trying to get it unfrozen and told they used to put cheap vodka in their company trucks reservoir tanks to keep the windshield fluid from freezing. It worked but I thought he was nuts or just some drunk lol. 12 years later and living in North Carolina I'm watching top gear one night and james may is talking about their arctic truck and how they added vodka to the windshield wiper fluid to keep it from freezing lol.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by Bad Habits

I totally get what youre saying, I used to live in Massachusetts. That's why I said throw a little vodka in there. Our neighbors growing up were transplants from Maine. He saw me messing with my jeep one day, trying to get it unfrozen and told they used to put cheap vodka in their company trucks reservoir tanks to keep the windshield fluid from freezing. It worked but I thought he was nuts or just some drunk lol. 12 years later and living in North Carolina I'm watching top gear one night and james may is talking about their arctic truck and how they added vodka to the windshield wiper fluid to keep it from freezing lol.

Tax on even cheap vodka is expensive. You want denatured alcohol. Or find a friendly doctor, preferably forensic pathologist. They got good alcohols available and cheap.

[Tt3Sheppard]

Mine have been frozen all week.

[Tcoat]

I opened this thread and noticed the name at the top and was worried for a second!

[TrqlessWonder]

What are you guys using for fluid if it's getting frozen? Most of the de-icer stuff is good to 25 below. Rain-X/Prestone, doesn't matter. Stuff works and it's worthwhile. Plus you can get lazy and just spray your frosted-over windshield (if that's all there was on it) without doing any scraping.

It was -14 when I got in the car this morning, with a windchill warning in effect, which means at least 30 below. Only time washer fluid froze on me was with my last car upon delivery from the dealer. Their fill was water.

[Joon525]

I just had the fluid freeze on me for the first time in my entire time as a licensed driver.
Just wanted to give thanks for the cheap vodka idea.

(I'm left wondering what in the world the dealer may have used for washer fluid when I took delivery of the car earlier this year)

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Bad Habits

Put a little vodka in with the washer fluid. I shit you not.

Reminded me of this....wiper whiskey dispenser.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xv3Bpz5U_o"]The whiskey wiper - YouTube[/ame]